I look at an editor as part of my team. I write the story, and my early drafts, while messy, are usually pretty good. I know they need work and polishing, and the right editor works to make this happen. The words and story are still mine, the editor brings some additional magic to make it really sparkle.

I write a variety of different stories, from stories for children to stories for grown ups. I usually start with looking for an editor who is experienced in that genre. It’s better to have an editor experienced with picture books to edit a picture book manuscript.

Next, I look for someone I ‘click’ with. I don’t usually know the name of the sort of editing I’m looking for, so using many of the sites like Freelancer or Fiverr is a challenge. I have met most of my editors through networking and we chat about something else before I engage them to edit my work. I get a feeling that this person understands me and we can work together.

Other things I check are small details like, I am Australian and use Australian English when I write. I had someone from the US try to change things like maths to math in a manuscript, and this highlighted how important language is. They told me I was wrong for using maths, which is correct in Australia. I then had to go through their edits closely as there were other spelling changes too.

Once I start working with someone, it’s a relationship where I send the editor my story, that I have worked hard on, and the editor comes back with comments. It is then up to me whether or not I accept the suggestions. This is also where having a good relationship helps.

I am neurospicy and RSD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria) often comes in to play. If I’m not confident the editor understands me and has my best interests at heart, then RSD can kick in and I can feel like a failure as an author. If I have an editor who has taken the time to get to know me, then I can almost override the RSD and see that the editor is wanting the best and helping polish my story in the way it needs.

Working with an editor can be incredibly rewarding as the editor picks up things that I will have missed when I do my own editing. Professional editors are also trained and experienced to look at a piece of writing with fresh eyes and from the view of the reader, so they often have comments that point out things missing that I know in my head, but it is not communicated to the reader.

For all the writers out there, neurospicy or otherwise, the editing process doesn’t have to be a scary, negative experience. It can be the thing that changes your writing from ‘pretty good’ to ‘amazing’!

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